Physical Benefits of Creatine

What is Creatine?

Creatine is an amino acid found naturally in your body.

It’s been shown to help build muscle and strength, especially when used in combination with resistance training.

Recent studies suggest that creatine may also support improved cognition.

Benefits of Creatine

• Boosted Endurance

  Creatine may help to improve sports performance by supporting stamina and strength, making it possible to work out longer and at a higher intensity—especially when lifting weights, sprinting, or performing other actions that require short but powerful bursts of effort.

  For example, one 2021 study determined that creatine led to increases in both low-speed and high-speed strength, maximal work output, sprint performance, and fat-free mass.

• Reduced Injury Risk and Quicker Recovery

  Creatine has been shown to reduce cramping.

  Some research has found a link between creatine and a reduced risk of muscle and joint injuries.

• Bonus Benefits for your Brain

  Emerging research suggests that supplementing with creatine may support enhanced memory performance in healthy people, particularly older adults.

  One recent review found that participants who supplemented with creatine performed better on tests of memory than those that received a placebo.

  Another recent study found that participants who supplemented with five grams (g) of creatine for six weeks experienced a small, but beneficial, improvement in cognitive performance.

Timing Creatine Supplementation with Exercise

One recent study found that taking creatine after exercise may produce more benefits than taking it before, but the evidence wasn’t particularly strong.

Is Creatine Right for You?

• Creatine for Vegetarians

  Most of the creatine in our diets comes from meat or seafood. Vegans and vegetarians might need a boost.

  Researchers evaluated nine studies concerning creatine levels in vegetarians.

  The researchers determined that supplementation helped increase lean tissue mass, muscular strength, and muscular endurance in participants.

  “Overall, it appears vegetarian athletes are likely to benefit from creatine supplementation,” wrote the authors of the review, which was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

• Other Notes and Precautions

  • Safety Concerns

    Creatine monohydrate is the safest and most extensively researched form of the supplement, even at higher doses (a typical dose is 3 to 5 grams per day).

  • Weight Gain

    One common side effect of creatine supplementation is weight gain, but it tends to be due to an increase in muscle, and not fat.

  • Dehydration

    Creatine draws water to the muscles from the rest of the body, potentially causing dehydration.

    It’s important to drink plenty of water when supplementing with creatine.